


Babysitting

by Flanker27_UK



Series: Strikes Life [1]
Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Harry Potter References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 07:24:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20170423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flanker27_UK/pseuds/Flanker27_UK
Summary: Cormoran gets a surprise when he gets back to the office





	Babysitting

Strike sat in the trendy cafe on Old Street sipping the 3rd cup of coffee of the afternoon, he felt more out of place here than he thought possible. He’d expected to be out of place in the fashion world of Lula Landry, but this was nearly as bad. 

It hadn’t started well when he tried to order a coffee at the counter only to be told that he needed to download an App and order that way as they didn’t use cash. 

As he stood looking plainly puzzled at the Samsung Galaxy that Robin had organised for him when she decided to update phone system, one of the waitresses took pity and sat down with him and sorted it out. 

The district was familiar to him as he’d spent much of his youth in and around the area, in squats, cheap flats or in rooms of friends where his peripatetic mother had dragged Lucy and himself, following the vagaries whichever band or lover she was currently obsessing about.

His memories now were like looking at monochrome pictures from a bygone era, where there had been cheap shops, cafes and restaurants catering for the poor inhabitants of east London now was a booming Tech neighbourhood hosting companies that Strike had only vague ideas of what they did. Fair enough he knew about Facebook and was always astounded about the amount of information about themselves people were willing to share, he was often amazed when Robin came up with some breathtaking information that would have taken him hours of patient shadowing and research, in the days before people blasted their lives and loves all over the World Wide Web. 

He raised a quizzical eyebrow at the comments he overheard from a couple guys sitting behind him discussing how they were going to “Leverage Microsoft Reactor later on to see if they could get some new code for their App”, whatever that meant. Whatever it was they didn’t look dressed for business in Strikes opinion, with their Levis & lumberjack shirts, both sporting identical beards with what looked like hair buns!

He then sat up and paid attention, the target of his wait had just appeared coming out of the Intel office, Strike quickly took pictures with his phone of the guy shaking hands on the doorstep. _ Gotcha, _he thought, their client was convinced his chief development engineer was trying to move to the competition and they now had the evidence required.

Finishing his coffee he stood up to leave and thought, _ Bloody hell how do I leave a tip? _ So he asked the kind waitress who’d helped him out, “ Don’t worry, we add 20% to every order to cover staff gratuities” she told him.

_ No wonder 3 coffees have cost me nearly £20 then. _

Outside Strike quickly sent a text to Robin:

“ Result, caught RAM Man red handed, should be a good payday on this one. Heading back now, a celebration in the Tottenham is in order :-) C x” 

Strike was slowly picking up emoticons from Robin and his nephews but still had a pretty limited range. 

He got a response back immediately.

“Probably best if we leave it tonight, need a night in, I’ll explain when you get back here R x”

_ Funny _ he thought _ Robin seemed fine this morning and it’s usual for us to celebrate a successful case. Still a night in with a few beers, a takeaway and an early night would be very pleasant. _

They had finally managed to stop ignoring the tension between each other and had fallen into each other's arms after a tipsy celebration at the Tottenham, which had ended with Robin spending the night with Cormoran in his attic flat and they hadn’t spent a night apart since.

They were now renting a 2 bedroom place near Euston which Robin had worked her magic on and turned it into a really comfortable home for them, Cormoran didn’t think he had been as happy living anywhere as he did now, although St Mawes was a close run thing.

Strike got back to Denmark St about ½ hour later, he took a last couple of puffs on his vape then turned it off and put it in his pocket. God he missed B&H but even though Robin hadn’t said anything he knew she worried about the impact of his smoking on his health, so had decided to try and kick the habit once and for all. The way Robin’s face lit up when she realised made the effort all worth it.

As he walked up the stairs to the office he could hear Robin’s lovely, silky, voice, speaking how she talked to him in their private moments.

“Oh you are just gorgeous, I love you to bits”

Strikes heart lurched, _ no, no, surely not, oh God, please don’t let it be Mathew, please don’t go back to him. _

Bracing himself for the worst he swung open the office door, to see

Robin holding a baby, big grin on her face and talking to him:

“Look Harry, here’s Uncle Cormoran, I told you he would be here soon didn’t I” 

Strike’s heart soared, it was a baby! Then he thought _ a baby why is Robin holding a baby, and what on earth is all this kit strewn around the office? _

Robin? 

“It’s my nephew Cormoran, isn’t he gorgeous”

“Hmm, possibly, why are you cuddling him ?”

“That’s what I need to explain”

“Go on then I’m listening”

“Well Steven & Jenny…”

“ You mean Hagrid & Hermione” Cormoran said with a broad smile

“ I wish you wouldn’t come up with names for my relatives, they aren’t marks,'' said Robin with mock seriousness.

“Well you did get me to read all your childhood favourite books, Steve is a bit of a hairy monster and they did name their 1st born Harry”

“Hairy Monster, hark at the pot” grinned Robin “Anyhow Steve had got tickets for the Phantom of the Opera as a treat and Mum was going to look after Harry for the night”

“But?”

“But she’s gone down with shingles, Martin had volunteered ,but unsurprisingly, Jenny wasn’t up for that. So Steve phoned me in desperation and we’re babysitting tonight. I know you hate children but it’s only for one night, I hope you don't mind?”

Strike tried to put on his grumpy face and moan, but Robin was so happy & radiant he just couldn’t do anything to diminish her today. Truthfully Cormoran was happy to go along with anything Robin wanted if it made her happy

“OK” then says Strike “let’s close the office for the day and get our new, temporary family off home. Where will Harry sleep” he asked.

“All the stuff is here, there’s a folding travel cot in the pile”

_ Bloody hell, there’s more kit here than I used to carry in combat _Strike thought

Eventually, after several trips up and down the stairs, Strike figuring out how the baby seat fitted in the BMW (_It faces backwards, who would have thought it)_ and the boot filled with various baby logistics they get to the flat and go through the reverse process.

Once home Robin changed Harry and got him into his night sleepsuit and heated some formula milk for him.

Cormoran struggled and cursed trying to put up the travel cot “FFS he muttered under his breath how does this work?”

Robin, with a smile, passed him her phone with the youtube clip playing ‘How to erect a Mothercare Travel Cot’

Success! Cot erected on Robins side of the bed

The timer pinged and Robin grabbed the milk and tried it on her wrist

Then the horror of the evening commenced, “Cormoran, can you just feed him while I get changed and do us something to eat? Is Frittata OK?”

Cormoran gulped, he’d always successfully avoided this with Lucy’s children and now he was on the spot, oh well he could strip an SA80 blindfold and had lost a leg, it couldn’t be harder than that, could it?

Cormoran settled down on the sofa and Robin passed him the baby and he settled naturally into the crook of Cormoran elbow. The bottle's teat was put into the little ones mouth and he sucked away happily 

The little lad had a good covering of hair & Cormoran was sure he was going to continue the Ellacott family strawberry blonde tradition.

“Robin” he called “ there’s a mark on his forehead, looks a bit like a lightning bolt”

“Nothing to worry about” Robin responded “Jenny thinks it was because she had a forceps delivery and it should fade in time”

Harry was fed and burped, Robin settled him down in his cot, leaving the door open so they could hear anything. They sat on the Sofa and enjoyed the meal that Robin had prepared. Once again Cormoran thought what a lucky man he was that the angel by his side had come into his life and fallen in love with him.

At around ten thirty Robin suggested they go to bed as Jenny had just called to see how things were and to tell Robin what a wonderful time they’d had at the theatre. She’d briefed Robin that Harry would probably sleep through the night but to expect to be up early.

They slipped into bed, Robin in her fleecy PJs and Cormoran in his usual T shirt and boxers. They kissed and cuddled but neither felt the need to be more amorous with a new life in their room with them. They both spooned together with Robin looking at her nephew and Cormoran looking between the baby and his beautiful partner, who looked happier and more contented than he could ever remember seeing her. 

Arms around each other with Cormoran’s face buried in Robin’s wonderful hair they drifted off to sleep

At 6:20 the next morning Harry let out a little squeak, Robin was instantly awake and lifting him out of his cot. Cormoran likewise came awake as he felt Robin move.Years of training in the military meant early starts were a normal thing, this one was easier than usual as there was no hangover.

Robin quickly changed Harry and passed him to Cormoran, 

“Can you hold him while I do his milk” 

Cormoran smiled down at Harry who was staring at the large man holding him with a very serious look on his little face. Robin came back with the bottle and reached to take Harry. 

“I’ll do that if you like Robin, give you chance to shower and dress”

“OK” Robin says somewhat amazed that he would volunteer for feeding duty, not what she was expecting at all, Cormoran was surprising her with how he was behaving, given his antipathy towards children in the past

Their morning routine continued with Robin taking over the baby for Cormoran to shower, dress and sort his leg out. They then sat on the sofa, taking it in turns to hold Harry and talk baby nonsense to him. Robin would love to keep these moments for ever but hadn’t got the heart to film her partner acting so daft!,

All to soon the door bell rings and Stephen and Jenny arrive, Jenny like a whirlwind grabbing Harry and smothering him with kisses, the 1st time she’d left her baby in 6 months.

"Was he OK?, any trouble? how did you get on with him?" Jenny gabbled when she'd assured herself that her precious boy was fine

"All fine no trouble at all, we loved having him, Cormoran even fed him twice!" said Robin with a smile

“Thanks so much for having him Rob, Cormoran“ says Steve “I really wanted Jen to have a break and a nice night out, can't thank you enough for helping us out, We'll be happy to return the favour sometime”. Winking at a slightly pink, flushed Robin

The logistics operation then commences again in reverse with all the baby kit being transferred to Stephen and Jenny’s Range Rover for the trip back to Yorkshire and all too soon with kisses, waves and blast of the horn they set off for the M1 and the long journey home

Cormoran and Robin stand on the step waving & he gently kisses her on the temple and they go back into their flat

Robin sighed, their cosy, homely flat that she'd come to love and where her love and respect for her partner had grown daily, now seemed to be empty in some way, like something was missing

“Thanks Cormoran, you were wonderful, I know you hate children but you really stepped up to the mark helping out Steve & Jen”

Cormoran sat next to Robin and pulled her into his arms kissing her gently "Don't give it a second thought, it was lovely getting to know your new nephew" 

They sat together for a while arms around each other just savouring the moments together. Cormoran leaned his head against Robin's shoulder thinking again how lucky he was to have such an adorable women love him. Thoughts that had been swirling round his head now came to the fore and he decided he was going to share them, he'd had enough not sharing with Robin in the past.

"I love you Robin Venetia Ellacott" he said with a gentle kiss to her lips

"You know what sort of childhood I had and it coloured my thoughts, but seeing you with your brother's baby has made me think”

"I never really had a proper, stable home until we moved in together, you make me feel safe and happy in a way I never thought I could" 

“ Robin, I never want this to end, would you make my life complete?"

" What do you mean Cormoran?"

"I know marriage hasn't worked out for you before, but I would dearly love you to be my wife, but that's only if you want that sort of relationship again, I'm happy just loving you, because I know that you are my forever love. Most of all though would you like start a family with me and have our baby”

Robin just looked at him with tears of joy streaming down her face

“Of course I would, everything Cormoran, I want everything with you“

**Author's Note:**

> This is for my lovely friend KB who hadn't heard of AO3 till today and sent me a long text 
> 
> This is me shamelessly pinching an idea from her
> 
> I wanted to get something done for K in her hotel yesterday but I was pretty tired and I don't think I did the finale justice so I've re-worked it a little
> 
> Also took out microwave refs as comments that not good for heating baby milk


End file.
